Electrical apparatus



Patented Dec. 22, 1931 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE FRANK IE. sTARR, on DAYTON, OHIO, AssIGNoR T0 Demo-Liana cOMPA-NY, or DAYTON,

OHIO, A CORPORATION on DELAWARE lIELECTRICAL APPARATUS Application filed September 30, 1929. Serial No.396,055.

ing operation and will gradually diminishits supply as the engine gains speed until the'de- 'vice is rendered inoperative after theengine attains a sp'eed'lof a predetermined amount. One manner of carrying outthls idea 1s to provide a fuel dischargingdevice which'includes fuel absorbing means, and to arrange the device so that the fuel absorbing means will be placedin the path of air leading to the engine, during the cranking ofthe engine and to removethe fuel absorber toga fuel well the engine is inoperative.

during the operation of the engine, or when In this, manner the air flowing to the engine will carry the greatest amount of fuel from the absorbing means at the instant the absorbing means is placed in the-path of air and will gradually carry less fuel as the fuel in thegabsorbing means diminishes. 1

Further objects and advantages ofthe present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whereina preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: I 3

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of the presentinvention; and a Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the carbureto and of the fuel discharging device.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake 21 whichis in communication with a passageway 23 formed by. a carburetor 24. Any suitable 'meansmay be employed for supplying fuel to'the carburetor 24. In the present case I provide preferably,

a fuel pump 25 connected with a supply tank 27 by pipe 28. The fuel pump 25 is provided with an outlet pipe. 29 which is connected 7 with the fuel bowl 33 of the carburetory24c.

The carburetor includes preferably, a main et 35 through which fuel maybe supplied to the engine by the suction created by the eng ne cylinders, and if desired,an' overflow outlet '37 connected with a return pipe 38 which is connected with the supply tank'27 maybe used to return excessive fuel to the supply tank to thus maintain a predetermined level of fuel in the carburetor bowl 33,- -'whichlevel is indicated at &O. It is (to be understood, however, that other means for maintaining a predetermined level of fuel in the carburetor bowlmay be employed, such as, for example,the conventional float valve In order to aid instarting the engine 20, I

have provided a'fuel. discharging device 50.

The dev'ice50 includes a plunger 51, an electro-magnet 52'for actuating the plunger, a housing53 for the electro-n agnet, anda well 55. The plunger 51 is adapted to carry on one end thereof a fuel absorbing means 57, preferably felt. During self-operation of the'engine andwhen the engine is inopera tiVe, the plunger 51'is adapted to partially immerse the felt 57 in the fuel contained in the well 55' In this manner the felt will ab "sorb the 'fuel'and become entirely saturated therewith, Alcover 60forthe well 55' is car-- ried by the plunger 51 to prevent fuel from being withdrawn therefrom during engine operation, The well 55is adapted to be supplied withfuel from the bowl 33 of the car 'buretor 2 f througha pipe 62. By this arrangement fuel will flow from the bowl 33 through the pipe 62 and rise :in the well 55., 4 to a level indicated at 40a which level will be I the same-as the level in the carburetor bowl 33. Thus the overflow outlet 37 will norof fuel in the bowl 33 and the well 51.

.The fuel discharging device 50 is adapted to becarried' by a casting 70 which is connected withfthecarburetor 24: by screws 71. The casting 70- is adapted to form a passage 7 2'through which the plunger 51 extends, and is provided with an opening 7 4 to allow the passage of air through the passageways 72,

23 and the intake'21 to theengine.

. -The energiza'tion of the electro-magnet 52 i will cause the upward movement of the short-circuited.

series shorting switch 105.

plunger 51 to thus place the saturated felt in the path of air flowing to the engine 20. The plunger 51 is so constructed that when the uppermost portion 7 8 thereof engages the housing 53, the lowermost portion 7 9 ofthe felt 57 will be substantially flush with the top of the well 55. By this arrangement the suction created by the engine cylinders will not withdraw fuel from the well but will withdraw the fuel from the saturated felt at first, relatively rich mixture will be supplied to the engine due to the fuel carried off from the felt by passing air andas the engine continues the fuel mixturewill gradually become leaner as the supply of fuel in the felt is depleted. The device is computed so that proper mixture is supplied to the engine. After the engine becomes self operative and attains acertain speed the electro-magnet will become deenergized to allow the plunger 51 to descend by gravity to immerse the felt in the fuel in the well 55 and to cover the well with the cover 60. I

A motor-generator 80 having a shuntfield winding 81 and a startingseries field winding 82 is used for cranking the engine, receiving current from a storage battery 83, and is adapted to maintain the battery in a charged condition during engine operation. In order to complete a circuit between the battery and the motor-generator a starting switch 85 must be closed. The circuit from the battery through the motor-generator may be traced as follows: battery 83, wire 87, current coil 87a, electro-magnet 52, wire 88, series field 82, motor-generator 80, wire 90, switch 85 and wire 91 to the other side of the battery. r

Preferabl the starting switch 85 may be controlled automatically in a similar man- :ner as disclosed and described in my copending application, for electrical apparatus Serial No. 3431,3 16 filed March 30, 1929. After the engine becomes self operative and attains a certain speed, the series winding 82 and the electro-magnet 52 will become This may be accomplished by means of a reverse current relay100a'nd a Thus, during the operation of the system the current passing through the current coil 87 a will be reversed in direction from that during cranking oper ation to thus change the polarity of the relay side plates 107 and 108 to cause an armature 110 of relay 105 to change its position and cause the engagement of contacts 111 and 112. The armature includes a shunt winding 116 connected across the battery 83. The armature also includes a pair of side plates which are polarized by the shunt winding 116.- Thus a reversal of current in the coil 87 a changes the-polarity of the side plates 107 and 108, causes like poles of said side plates and like poles of the 'armature side plates to repel to cause the armature to "contacts 130 and 131.

change position. The engagement of contacts 111 and 112 complete a circuit through a coil 120 of switch 105. The circuit through coil 120 may be traced as follows: Wire 125 which is connected to wire 87, relay side plates, contacts 111 and 112, coil 120 and wire 127 which joins wire'90 leading to the negative side of the generator. The energi- Zation of'coil 120 causes the engagement of The closing of contacts completes a circuit to the battery through wi'r e 133, contacts 130 and 131, wire 134 and wire 87, The circuit through wires 133 and 184: ofie'is less resistance than the circuit through series winding 82 and coil 52 to .thus short circuit'the winding 82 and coil 52. Thus the fuel discharging device will remain operative to supply fuel to the; engine during cranking thereof, and gradually become leaner in its supply as the speed of the engine increases and will be rendered inoperative when the speed thereof attains a certain value.

While the form of embodiment ofthe invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the'scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, means for supplying priming fuel to the engine, said means including fuel absorbing means, and means forfplacingthe fuel absorbing means in the path of ail-flowing to the engine for a predeterminedlength'of time only.

.2. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination,-means for supplying priming fuel to the engine, said means including fuel absorbing means, and electrically operated means for placing the fuel absorbing means in the path of air flowing to thee'ngine.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, an engine intake, means'for supplying priming fuel to the enginefintake, said means including fuel absorbing means, and means for placing the fuel absorbing means in'the path of airflowing to the engine intake for a predetermined length of time only.

An internal combustion engine, comprising in combinationan engine intake, a carburetor connected to the 'engine, means for supplying priming fuel to the engine, saidmeans including fuel absorbing means, and means for placing the fuel absorbing means in the'path of air flowing through the carburetor'for'a predetermined length of time only.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, 'a fuel well, means for supplying :priniing fuel 'to the engine disposedin said fuel well, saidmeans including fuel absorbing means, and means for placing said fuel absorbing means in the path of air flowing to the engine for a predetermined length of time only.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a fuel well, means for supplying priming fuel to the engine dis-- posed in said fuel well, said means including fuel absorbing means, and electrically operated means for placing said fuel absorbing means in the path of air flowing to the engine.

7 An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, an engine intake, a fuel wcll carried by the intake, means for supplying priming fuel to the engine disposed in said fuel well, said'means including fuel absorbing means, and means for placing said fuel absorbing means in the path of air flowing to the engine for a predetermined length of, time only. 7

8. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a fuel feeding device for the engine comprising a fuel jet, a fuel bowl for supplying fuel to the jet, means for maintaining a predetermined level of fuel in saidbowl, and a fuel discharging device comprising a well, a duct connecting the well and bowl whereby the fuel level therein is controlled by the fuel level in the bowl, means for supplying priming fuel to the engine disposed in the well, said means including fuel absorbing means, and means for placing said fuel absorbing means in the air flowing to the engine.

9. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination, an engineintake, a fuel feeding device for the engine comprising a fuel jet connected with the engine intake, a

fuel bowl for supplying fuel to the jet, means for maintaining a predetermined level of fuel in said bowl, and a fuel discharging device comprising a well connected with the engine intake, a duct connecting the well and bowl whereby the fuel level therein is controlled by the fuel level in the bowl, fuel absorbing means disposed in therwell, and 7 means for placing said fuel absorbing means in the path of air flowing to the engine.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

FRANK F. STARR.

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